Funeral prayers were held late Sunday for Shuja Khanzada, the home minister for Pakistan’s populous Punjab province, who was killed in a suicide bombing, along with 14 other people.

Khanzada was killed Sunday at his residence in the Attock district, some 100 kilometers northwest of the capital, Islamabad.

Witnesses say as many as 30 people were inside the minister’s home when a suicide bomber entered and detonated explosives, despite an attempt by security guards to stop him.

Dozens of people, including police officers, were buried under the rubble after the massive blast caused the building’s collapse.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack and said “nothing justifies terrorism.” 

Authorities say Khanzada had been receiving threats from the Sunni militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), known for deadly attacks on minority Shi’ite Muslims in Pakistan.

Late last month, the counterterrorism police in Punjab killed Malik Ishaq, the head of the outlawed LeJ, and Home Minister Khanzada had disclosed details of the operation at a news conference.

Khanzada was leading an increase in security operations against militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaida in Punjab.

Authorities suspect the attack in his native village, Shadi Khan, could be in revenge for the minister’s anti-militancy campaign.  
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